Joe Biden has not been working hard these days, as the White House called a “lid”, or a stop to the workday before noon on Monday. He was propped up for a 10-minute speech to the nation on Tuesday to show he had everything under control and that the American people didn’t have to worry.
Biden is a fan of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. However, domestic politics and the U.S.’s standing in the international arena demanded that President Obama give a full and frank defense of Israel while condemning Hamas without hesitation.
Peter Baker, a long-time White House reporter for the New York Times, said that the speech was “one of the most vehement and even angry condemnations of terror in Israel” he had ever heard an American president make in his years of covering the White House. Biden made no attempt to restrain Israel’s reaction and did not offer any equivocation. He wanted to ensure that there was no daylight between himself and Israel at this point.”
Biden stated, “We must be clear in this moment.” “We stand with Israel.”
Biden, sensing that the country was in a mood for a decisive response, did not offer any equivocations or apologies about “balance” and “proportional responses.” The horrific events at Kfar Aza, as well as other names of blood-stained places, will forever mark the history of Israel. Diplomacy is no longer needed to resolve the conflict.
Israel won’t stop the war until the civilized world can be sure that terrorists cannot mount another attack. Biden appears to be content for now to let Israel have its way when it comes to Hamas.
Biden, standing with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Vice President Kamala Harris, said: “There are times in life when pure evil is unleashed upon the world.” The people of Israel experienced one such moment over the weekend.
Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor, said that after the speech 20 Americans were still missing in Israel and presumed dead or kidnapped. Biden said during his speech that fourteen Americans were killed. The death toll is expected to increase as the grim task to sort through the mass graves will take at least two weeks.
NBC News:
Biden revealed that Americans were among the hostages taken by Hamas. He did not say how many hostages were taken, but he said that U.S. officials have been directed to provide their expertise to help Israel in its efforts to release the hostages.
As president, he stated, “I do not have a higher priority than the security of Americans who are being held hostage in various parts of the world.”
Biden made a brief reference to Washington’s dysfunction: The U.S. House currently has no speaker due to internal fighting within the Republican Party. He said that when Congress returns to its work, he will ask the members to take “urgent action to fund our critical partners’ national security needs.”
He said, “This isn’t about politics or parties.” “It’s about our world’s security.”
The U.S. House cannot function without a speaker. If neither Jordan nor Scalise receive enough support, the big question is whether or not the radical right Republicans can put aside their agendas and work together to elect Jim Jordan or Steve Scalise.
Israel doesn’t need U.S. soldiers. Israel does need to replenish some of its critical systems, including more interceptors, for its Iron Dome system missile defense system, as well as missiles and bombs for attack aircraft. Congress must therefore act swiftly to ensure that Israel has the weapons it needs to defend itself.
